Connect with us

Politics

Clean energy popular among everyone, even Republicans

Published

on


A new poll shows that Floridians overwhelmingly support clean energy, with about 78% of respondents indicating they prefer a clean alternative. That includes more than 60% of Republicans.

The poll, taken by Cygnal Aug. 26-27 for the group Conservatives for Clean Energy, found the vast majority of Floridians (82%) are frustrated by rising utility costs, a sentiment likely driving support for alternative energy sources, including solar and nuclear.

Two-thirds of voters (67%) say they are more likely to support a candidate who backs solar energy expansion, while 68% say they are more likely to support candidates who back rooftop solar-friendly policy.

Meanwhile, 62% of respondents say they support expanded production of nuclear energy, including restarting decommissioned plants.

“Working families and small businesses will continue to feel the pinch of higher electricity prices if Florida is over-reliant on any one energy source,” Conservatives for Clean Energy Florida Executive Director Zachary Colletti said. “Florida voters are ready to support leaders who protect their pocketbooks and peace of mind. Expanding solar and getting serious about nuclear are key to delivering both for Floridians.”

About 70% of respondents believe that energy independence is a matter of national security.

The results are likely driven by respondents’ top priorities centering on pocketbook issues, with inflation and cost of living (25%), taxes and government spending (15%) and housing affordability (10%) dominating the top three issues. Pair that with the 82% of respondents who say energy prices are getting more expensive, and it’s easy to see how respondents’ financial concerns are shaping their views.

But while an overwhelming majority of Republicans support clean energy, there still lies a notable drop-off when it comes to strong support, the poll found. While 63% say they support clean energy, only 18% of Republicans strongly support it, compared to 44% overall. Still, 57% of Republicans polled say they are less likely to vote for a candidate who opposes policies that increase U.S. energy production.

And there is a political divide when it comes to nuclear energy, with Republicans supporting restarting previously decommissioned plants more than Democrats, at 75% to just 41%.

The poll provides useful insight ahead of the 2026 Midterms as candidates build their campaigns, indicating potential winning strategies on energy issues.

It also offers insight into the Governor’s race, with a generic Republican candidate dominating at 51% to just 38% for a generic Democrat; The remaining respondents are undecided. It’s worth noting that even though more than 89% of Republicans say they would support a Republican candidate for Governor, 5% say they would support a Democrat and another more than 5% are still unsure.

The poll was taken among 1,000 likely 2026 General Election voters, with a sample consisting of 46% Republicans, 32% Democrats, 18% no-party voters and 2% each who indicated another affiliation or who did not provide information. The poll has a margin of error of just over 3 percentage points.


Post Views: 0



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

UWF Ph.D. student develops AI program to track and map impacts of wildfires

Published

on


The UWF AI mapping systems can help first responders handle fast-moving wildfires and assist in the recovery process.

University of West Florida researchers are now using artificial intelligence to track data that will improve how damage from wildfires is mapped.

UWF Ph.D. student Valeria Martin has introduced what’s being called CalFireSeg-50, a dataset that was formulated from satellite imagery and data from 50 of the largest wildfires in California between 2019 and 2023, said a UWF news release.

Martin conducted her research with assistance from Brent Venable, UWF Director of the Intelligent Systems and Robotics Doctoral Program at UWF, and Derek Morgan, UWF Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences. They collected satellite images and provided the examples to AI, which developed recognition of fire-damaged areas. Then, using the images, the AI developed mapping systems.

“By pairing satellite data with deep-learning models, we can detect wildfire damage with high accuracy,” Martin said. “The insights from this work can support emergency response, environmental monitoring and long-term recovery planning.”

The AI programming helps develop models to indicate where fires might burn the hottest. That data helps emergency responders understand how wildfires burn and spread while pinpointing areas of priority. The AI imagery and maps also help analyze damage and track vegetation patterns across land after a blaze in the recovery phase.

“This project showcases how advanced GeoAI techniques can meaningfully support environmental monitoring,” Venable said. “Valeria’s exceptional work demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary research and reflects the innovative spirit of the Intelligent Systems and Robotics doctoral program.”

Martin’s research is gaining more attention and observation. She presented the Findings of her research at the 13th annual Association for Computing Machinery Special Interest Group on Spatial Information conference that took place in Minneapolis in November.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Ken Griffin praises ‘pragmatic’ Eileen Higgins, says she’ll keep promises as Miami Mayor

Published

on


One of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ most reliable backers over the years is enthusing over the Democratic Mayor-elect of Miami, saying her pragmatism will serve the city ahead.

Citadel CEO Ken Griffin said on Bloomberg Open Interest that Eileen Higgins would “deliver on the promises that she made to the voters of Miami,” contrasting her favorably to Zohran Mamdani of New York.

“She has a long history of being pragmatic with respect to policy choices that will improve the lives of the people who live in Miami,” Griffin said during an interview at Conference de Paris.

“She very much wants to accelerate the permitting process for builders, to create more housing stock. She wants to help release lands into the private market to help increase available housing. She wants to address the issue of housing affordability with thoughtful, time-tested and proven policies, rather than the fantasy that’s being espoused by the Mayor-elect for New York City.”

Griffin has given tens of millions of dollars over the years to DeSantis and various initiatives he backed, including spending $12 million to help defeat a recreational pot amendment last year. More recently, Griffin invested $50 million into charter schools with the Governor’s blessing, as he seeks to expand his Success Academy model through the state’s “Schools of Hope.”

But when it comes to a Democrat taking over the mayoralty of his adopted city, Griffin sees a way to do business.

Higgins, a former Miami-Dade Commissioner, said her voters came out in part to respond to “trickle-down hatred, where our immigrant population is not only insulted but also really afraid of the federal government.”

“To me, this anti-immigrant fervor, it’s gone too far. It’s inhumane. It’s cruel. I’m Catholic, so I think it’s a sin. And it’s bad for the economy,” she said on MSNOW earlier this month. “They’re going after everybody, rich and poor, and it’s really changing how people think about who they want to speak up for and stick up for them in local government.”

For his part, DeSantis sat on his hands as Republicans lost the Mayor’s Office, a move perhaps contextualized by Griffin’s position.

“I did an endorsement in the original scrum, and then once it advanced to the runoff, it just wasn’t something I was involved in. So I don’t know what the issues were or any of that,” DeSantis said, professing a surprising ignorance of local concerns in the state’s most important city.



Source link

Continue Reading

Politics

Susie Wiles slams Vanity Fair ‘hit piece’

Published

on


‘This was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.’

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles isn’t standing by after an article in Vanity Fair showcased what the outlet said were her quotes critiquing a number of people in the Donald Trump administration.

“The article published early this morning is a disingenuously framed hit piece on me and the finest President, White House staff, and Cabinet in history,” Wiles said following the article’s release.

“Significant context was disregarded and much of what I, and others, said about the team and the President was left out of the story. I assume, after reading it, that this was done to paint an overwhelmingly chaotic and negative narrative about the President and our team.”

The article by Chris Whipple describes Wiles leaving a meeting with the Cabinet, telling Trump it was an “emergency” that didn’t “involve” him, before quoting her saying the President has an “alcoholic personality.”

The outlet also attributed other eye-catching comments from Wiles, such as remarks that Vice President JD Vance has been a “conspiracy theorist for a decade,” that Office of Management and Budget head Russell Vought is a “right-wing absolute zealot,” and that former Department of Government Efficiency impresario Elon Musk has a ketamine habit.

Whipple said the article came after “many on-the-record conversations.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © Miami Select.